Cynthia Osborne

Ph.D.,
Princeton University

Associate Professor

Contact

Biography

Cynthia Osborne is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Health and Social Policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Osborne holds a Ph.D. in Demography and Public Affairs from Princeton University, Master in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Master of Arts in Education from Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. Osborne's teaching and research interests are in the areas of social policy, poverty and inequality, family and child well-being, and family demography. She specializes in collaborative partnerships and the real world application of academic research. She has extensive experience conducting long-term evaluations of state and national programs, with the aim of helping organizations understand what works and why, and how to ensure sustainable implementation of effective policies. Osborne is also the director of the LBJ School's Child and Family Research Partnership, a center that conducts rigorous research on policy issues including early childhood, adolescent health, and father involvement. She is an active member of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Policy Council, the leadership team responsible for setting policy and strategy for the association.

Courses

WGS 393 • Family Policy

The primary goals of this course are to examine the demographic, economic, and social changes that have taken place in the family over the past several decades and to identify what these changes mean for public policies aimed at strengthening families. We will address several questions, including: What has happened to the family? How much help do families need and what type of help? Who needs help the most? How successful have policies been at helping families in the past? What ought government do to help families? Should government promote marriage? The focus will primarily be on US federal family policy, but will also consider some state issues and comparative perspectives of policies and demographic changes. Upon completion of the course, students will:

Identify the major demographic, economic, and social changes in the family, and how these changes have occurred differently across demographic groups.

Clearly articulate the major theories of family change and identify which demographic group each theory applies to best.

Distinguish the causal versus selection effects of family structure and family change.

Evaluate the effectiveness of policies aimed at redressing family needs.

Articulate the competing political and policy arguments on family policy.

Evaluate, generate, and present ideas to strengthen families.

WGS 393 • Family Policy

The primary goals of this course are to examine the demographic, economic, and social changes that have taken place in the family over the past several decades and to identify what these changes mean for public policies aimed at strengthening families. We will address several questions, including: What has happened to the family? How much help do families need and what type of help? Who needs help the most? How successful have policies been at helping families in the past? What ought government do to help families? Should government promote marriage? The focus will primarily be on US federal family policy, but will also consider some state issues and comparative perspectives of policies and demographic changes.

WGS 393 • Family Policy

The primary goals of this course are to examine the demographic, economic, and social changes that have taken place in the family over the past several decades and to identify what these changes mean for public policies aimed at strengthening families. We will address several questions, including: What has happened to the family? How much help do families need and what type of help? Who needs help the most? How successful have policies been at helping families in the past? What ought government do to help families? Should government promote marriage? The focus will primarily be on US federal family policy, but will also consider some state issues and comparative perspectives of policies and demographic changes.